Old Battery Brooder

[Valley Farmer]

I recently purchased an old battery brooder made by Jamesway aka James Manufacturing Co. during the 40's. It's a 5 tier unit and approximately 4x8'. It'll need some work, as the owner said it hadn't been used in many years. If anyone here is familiar with them or similar models, I'd love know. Thanks.

 

[cavemanrich]

I don't have one, but here is my opinion and thoughts. This is a High Volume, High Density hi-rise device. . It must have had a circulating air, source of heat provided. (well controlled temperature) Don't see any other way to keep chicks warm. (well, back in the 1940's). They could also have been kept in large rooms with multiple brooders with room at IDEAL TEMPERATURE. Today, you can use the Electric blanket Heating caves. (called mama heating pads, or something similar).
Are you considering getting into high volume hatching.?
WISHING YOU BEST.....

 

[Valley Farmer]

Yeah, it's definitely not a small brooder. No idea how many it can hold but it's there are 10 separate areas the size of a newer GFQ. The things you can see in the middle are actually radiant heaters, where the chicks can gather beneath. Kind of like a hover, but without the sides. They're also adjustable in height and temp. Has the clean-out trays for each bay and overall is a pretty neat unit. Just wish I could find more about it. Parts of the heater construction might be asbestos, which I was especially hoping someone would know something about. Maybe I'd have better luck finding an old timer on a farming forum?

We actually are hoping to get into breeding and selling chicks. So far we've just hatched for ourselves, but might start on a small scale in the spring and ramp it up from there depending on how things go. We also currently sell eggs, which we'd like to increase production on soon.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[WhiteWyan]

Wow that's so cool! Good luck with your business. Please post pics when you set it up!

 

[Danthechickenman]

I recently purchased an old battery brooder made by Jamesway aka James Manufacturing Co. during the 40's. It's a 5 tier unit and approximately 4x8'. It'll need some work, as the owner said it hadn't been used in many years. If anyone here is familiar with them or similar models, I'd love know. Thanks.View attachment 1133372

I have the exact same brooder......it is an awesome unit.

I recently purchased an old battery brooder made by Jamesway aka James Manufacturing Co. during the 40's. It's a 5 tier unit and approximately 4x8'. It'll need some work, as the owner said it hadn't been used in many years. If anyone here is familiar with them or similar models, I'd love know. Thanks.View attachment 1133372

I have the exact same brooder......it is an awesome unit. They were built somewhere in the late forties and into the fifties from what I could research. The material in the heaters you thought might be asbestos is really buffalo board which they used as an insulation above the heating coil. The heaters were 250 watts, with one coil inside. They are controlled by a thermostat which you set with a screwdriver, and has a bulb socket for a small red or blue brooder bulb which will turn on whenever the heater is on, and off when the heater turns off providing a visible indicator that the heater is functioning. I run about 100 chicks per deck when I first get them, but you will want to spread them out within a couple weeks. The drop trays pull out either side, and I use newspaper on them so each morning you can go and roll up the newspaper with the droppings on it, and then spread out new newspaper. You need to go with at least a double layer of newspaper to start, and then three or four layers as they get older and really start to put out...lol. You can partition off each deck into two cages, which is nice if only having a few chicks or if having a few different breeds that you want to keep seperate. There are water trays on each end so if the deck is not partitioned off, would have two waterers, and if it is partirioned off, then each would have one waterer. The feeders just hang on each side and are amazingly easy to put on and remove. The feeder guards flip right out of the feeder which is great when removing chickens from the brooder. The heaters can be cranked up and down with a small crank on one end. I honestly can't think of one thing bad about this brooder.....the Jamesway engineer did his homework very well at the time. I only wish there were more of them still out there. If you have any more questions, just let me know. Have you gotten the unit up and working yet??

 

[Kenny PomonaFeed]

I recently purchased an old battery brooder made by Jamesway aka James Manufacturing Co. during the 40's. It's a 5 tier unit and approximately 4x8'. It'll need some work, as the owner said it hadn't been used in many years. If anyone here is familiar with them or similar models, I'd love know. Thanks.View attachment 1133372

So..., did you get your Jamesway Brooder Up and Running? We have one as well!

 

[Valley Farmer]

Looking good Kenny! I never got the heating portion going, but maybe this winter. I found an old Petersime, so I’ve been using that for now. Also a great unit. I’d love to see that Jamesway once you have it all back together.

 

[Kenny PomonaFeed]

It'll have 350 Day Old Chicks in it This Thursday. Had My Electrition go through All 5 Heater Units, they were all Working When We pulled the Brooder Out of The Store Late January 2019, (Newcastle Desiease Quarantine). Have You Pulled a Heater Unit Apart To Fiddle With It? It's a Heater Coil Wire That Provides The Warmth. Really Easy to Work On!!! I'll Post a Couple Pics of Her here End of Next Week..

 

[Kenny PomonaFeed]

Valley Farmer..., would you post a pic of Your Old Petersime Brooder Here? Very Interested to See It! Thanks!

 

[Kenny PomonaFeed]

Here You Go Valley Farmer.....